Football finals fever grips Maldives

The crowd was electrifying. Young people in the front row jumped up and down to the beat, while further back stood the cool and aloof, both enjoying the music.

Passing motorbikes were pulled into the festivities with many stopping to soak up the atmosphere and revel in the happiness.

“I just love this atmosphere. It brings out my patriotism,” laughs Ali Hassan, stopping on his way home.

The band ‘Cops’ belted out number after number, driving the crowd wild, screaming between songs: “Are we behind the national team?” “Yeah!” the crowd would roar.

This was not about music, or entertainment. This was about football fever gripping the nation.

The national team of the Maldives yesterday made it to the finals of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Cup, comfortably beating Sri Lanka 5-1 in Bangladesh and sending the entire country into throes of ecstasy. As one spectator said: “It rained goals.”

At home it rained joy. Afterwards people took to the streets, young and old alike. Flags fluttered proudly on cars and motorcycles, while some people carried giant flags in their hands. Even police jeeps carried the customary flag.

“Maldives in the finals!”, some screamed. Women and children did joy rides around the streets of Male on the back of pickup trucks, football songs blasting at full volume. A car zoomed about painted entirely in red, with just a little green border and the white crescent on the side indicative of the flag, beautifully merging aesthetics and patriotism.

Chants of “India! India!” were heard during the other semi-final match between Bangladesh and India that evening. Now visions of July last year – when the SAFF cup was brought home for the first time – are dancing in front of everyone’s eyes.

Corner of Joy

The euphoria is evident in every street corner in the capital, but the corner seeing the maximum action is Lonuziyaraikolhu – it becomes the hub during the tournament festivities.

The seawall to surf point the streets are painted in red, with a bouncing ball appearing here and there to the corner. Maldivian flags flutter on both sides of the street, while up above red, green and white banners give the place a carnival feel.

The famed Olympians band has played twice, while earlier Enteres drove the crowds crazy with their song repertoire prompting one spectator to say: “The oldies have still got what it takes.”

Last night was the turn of the Cops band, with songs like ‘Magey beybe magey dhonbe’, ‘Handhaa’ and the classic ‘Haakalee buruvaalee’ getting the crowds chanting. Maldivian flags were waved in tandem from the front row.

Aiminath Reena, 32, whispered she was “kind of glad” Maldives was not going to play against Bangladesh in the finals. “We have so many Bangladeshis here; I would not want any trouble or anyone to make them feel bad,” she said.

While on the other side, housewife Fathimath Easa, 44, recounts how her corner shop seytu (shopkeeper) told her that his Bangladeshi employee had called up his mother and asked her to support Maldives.

“Now that their team is out, they are supporting the Maldivian team,” she said.

The songs continued, people wondered around eating, hot paratas and spicy curries from the Buruzu hotel eatery, or eating diverse dishes from the Salsa stall or freshly made kothu roshi from Royal Park stall. Three girls took turns to pose with the giant poster of the star player Ali Ashfag (Dhagandey) and the national team posted on the Haveeru stall.

“Yesterday we got a lot of support – it goes hand in hand with the success the team is achieving,” says Ahmed Shahid (Saabe), Chef de Mission for the Maldivian Contingent for South Asian Games 2010. Quite aptly, his mobile ringtone is ‘Saabahey dhivehina fahuruveri bathaluna’ (‘hooray for Maldivians and proud heroes’), one of the football movement’s anthems.

Shahid organized the festivities with the Ministry of Human Resources, Youth and Sports forming a committee to oversee the games.

“We chose Lonuziyarai Kolhu cause there is ample space, and it’s an area where people come to enjoy and hangout,” he said.

The Cops band announced it was changing taste and played an Indian song: ‘Yey mera dhil piyar kaa dheevana’. The paradox: Maldivians love all things Indian; food, songs, movies and the country itself. No celebration is complete without something Indian and yet they are now the principal rival.

The Maldives is set to play against India in the final match of SAFF cup tomorrow at 5:00pm. The best team will win the cup, but Maldivians of all ages will be rooting for their team, and the celebrations look set to surpass that of last year. The possibility of getting the cup twice running is just going to ramp up the excitement of this football crazy nation.

To join in the festivities head to Lonuziyaraikolhu, from early evening until 1:00 am on Monday morning.

Photos provided by Mode